Closing the Feedback Loop Hack: Possip 360 Scripts

Keep messages to parents clear, positive, and consistent—whether sharing updates, addressing concerns, or celebrating successes. Effective communication is key to boosting student outcomes, as our Possip data confirms. However, analyzing feedback and crafting meaningful responses can be time-consuming tasks that many administrators struggle to find time for. Possip 360 scripts are here to help.

Caroline Carrello, a Possip intern majoring in Human and Organization Development at Vanderbilt University, relays how Possip can help schools and families with Possip 360 Scripts. 

At Possip, we specialize in surveying, collecting data, and providing comprehensive reports. Once we gather the data, our reporting team steps in to customize messages tailored to your needs based on the report insights. Our Pulse 360 service with 360 Scripts does this initial work for you.

What are Possip 360 Scripts?

Possip’s 360 Scripts are a time-saver for schools, carefully developed after each Pulse Check®. Our reporting team tailors the scripts to the feedback gathered through Possip’s Pulse Check. Our scripts assist you in seamlessly communicating the report results to families or staff, whether through newsletters or robocalls. We keep the language in these scripts deliberately simple and anonymized. You can distribute them broadly, making sure that the key trends and insights effectively reach all stakeholders in a respectful and positive manner.

Why are 360 Scripts helpful for leaders?

The beauty of our scripts lies in the reporters who analyze and synthesize the data. They distill the trends in praise and feedback from the Pulse Check into family-friendly language, making it easy for you to share a quick community-facing message. This not only saves time but also ensures that the communication remains clear, concise, and impactful.

Sharing feedback through 360 Scripts can also be a tool used to increase Pulse Check response rates. When you close the feedback loop, you foster engagement and reassure families that their text messages have been read. To learn more about other creative ways to increase parent engagement read this blog post.

What do our partners have to say about 360 Scripts?

Barb Campbell, then the YES Prep Public Schools Director of Family Engagement, shared her experience: “…the amount of time spent on crafting staff notes, family notes, communicating out information. Being the person that distills all that information into a summary… having that done for you, it’s like, you just gave me back an hour of my Sunday morning. It’s very nice to see that in a concise format that can be shared out with stakeholders.”

What do these scripts look like?

Check out this screenshot from one of our demo schools:

Real Life Application: How a Possip Partner Shares Their 360 Scripts

Olentangy High School has harnessed the power of Possip 360 Scripts to seamlessly communicate the valuable feedback they gather with the wider district community. Take a peek at the snapshot below from their family Facebook page, revealing insights garnered from Pulse Checks. For a deeper dive into how they let families know about Possip and how they use the information they gather, explore their website here.

Possip 360 Scripts makes it easier for you to let families know what you heard from the feedback through their Pulse Check – and what school leaders intend to do with the responses. These scripts save school leaders time and help make their messages clearer and more effective. Examples from YES Prep and Olentangy High School show how schools use these scripts to help families feel heard. With Possip and the 360 Scripts, school leaders have a great way to ensure family, staff, and students that their voices matter, leading to a more open and caring school community.

Hear How 4 School Leaders Answer the Question: “What’s your favorite part of the Possip feedback reports?”

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In a Time of AI, How Do You Teach Practical Skills?

As the world changes, so do the skills that students need to learn, right? Well… sort of.  Families often share feedback that the emphasis on new skills and academics leaves their kids without the practical skills they need to get by in life after school.  

Cate Reed, seasoned administrator, current Senior Vice President of Teach For America, and Possip Reporter, identifies ways for students to learn and practice life skills at school. 

Twenty-five years ago, almost every middle or high school student took a home economics course. They learned to cook and sew and use basic tools, equipping them with skills to thrive after graduation.  However, those classes don’t happen as much anymore, and as a result, families report that kids often can’t manage the basics of life beyond the classroom.

We’ve collected a set of ideas to bring practical skills into already packed school schedules, while ensuring kids can have fun at the same time!

Enhance Your Curriculum With Practical Skills

Build Financial Literacy Into Math Classes

Integrate financial literacy education into math or economics classes. Teach students the practical skills of budgeting, saving, investing, debt management, and how to balance their bank accounts. You can find free ideas here. 

Tip: Have students manage a household budget as a long-term project for a semester or have them save up for a fictional vacation. They need to do the research, decide what they’d like to do, then plan their budget and spending. 

Make Gym + PE = Wellness

Offer health and wellness programs to promote physical and mental well-being. 

Tip: Host a 10,000-step challenge, before-school meditation opportunities or have students use a physical activity tracker. Developing these personal practices help students connect how a healthy mind and body support their academic success.

Want more? Join the Possip Membership!

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Three Ways to Support & Strengthen First Year Teachers

As we think about support for first year teachers, let’s think back to our own first year in the profession. For me, the feeling of overwhelm encompasses my season of teaching for the first time. There were so many ups and downs! 

Sarah Besand, a teacher and Possip Reporter, shares three ways to foster and encourage first year teachers.

I remember working in my classroom hours after school and still feeling disorganized when it came to my daily to-do list. I remember helping my students through hard emotions and carrying this home with me. Feeling so depleted, but also extremely proud of the work I was doing. Even as I recall it now, I feel compassion for this young teacher with so much to learn.

If you’re anything like me, I bet your experience was similar. Even with the best of support systems, this profession comes with a huge learning curve. Statistically, so many new teachers will find employment outside the teaching profession within their first 5 years. To meet this challenge, we must not only support our new teachers, but strengthen them as well. Here’s our ideas on how to strengthen new teachers at your school.

Design or Implement a Mentor Program

To continue to strengthen our teachers, a mentor program can be extremely helpful. Mentor programs can vary depending on school needs, but the important part to remember is leading these programs with compassion and empathy as a core tenant.

To do this, think about ways you can design a space that elevates new teachers’ experiences while also allowing mentor teachers to share ideas for them. In my own mentorship program, I remember learning so much from the curated advice my mentor imparted on me. Through this balance of empathy and wisdom, new teachers can find strength by realizing they are not alone. Every teacher has experienced being new in their career, and have tricks of the trade to show for their time invested. 

A monthly cadence typically works well for this. Try setting aside a part of your faculty meeting to allow your mentors and mentees to learn from each other!

To Read More, Join the Possip Membership!

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6 Tips to Address Class Size Concerns

“There are too many kids in that class! How can they learn with a class size that big?”  

“How can my student get the attention they deserve with all those kids?”

But I thought bigger is always better, right? Not exactly. When it comes to class size, most families immediately assume that bigger is definitely not better. This perception can cause families to make decisions about schools and share feedback based on how many kids sit in a classroom on a given day. However, that feedback doesn’t always tell the full story.  

Cate Reed, seasoned administrator, current Senior Vice President of Teach For America, and Possip Reporter, walks through tackle concerns raised from families about class size.

Families often have questions or feedback on the size of the classes their students are in. That is fair, since we can all agree that one on one instruction can be helpful when kids need targeted support.  However, families likely have varying levels of information on how that is determined. Nor do they know the constraints that a school has when creating class size. And, they may not realize some of the advantages that larger classes can offer.  We can all agree that we want as many kids as possible in front of the best teachers out there–within reason!

Below are 6 tips that can help you consider how to get ahead of concerns about class size, and position yourself to also share the opportunities and tradeoffs that come with various class sizes.

 

Listen Actively to Concerns About Class Size

Ensure you understand parents’ root concern – is it about the size of the class or what is happening in the classroom that is the real concern?  Sometimes a family may be experiencing a child struggling with a concept, or a student dispute and automatically assume it is because the teacher cannot devote adequate time to the situation. 

Tip: Asking questions like, “What caused you to bring this to my attention?” may elicit helpful information as you consider what to do next, and potentially help solve the real problem.

Click here to read the full blog with the Possip Membership!

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Possip Spotlight: How YES Prep Leverages Insights in School Decisions

When schools plan big changes, having support from families can make the process much easier. A good way to gain this support can be to ask families for their opinions and truly listen to them before making any school decisions that impact them. Isamar Lopez, Director of Family Engagement at YES Prep Public Schools in Houston, Texas, explains ways YES Prep follows this approach.

Caroline Carrello, a Possip intern majoring in Human and Organization Development at Vanderbilt University, explains how YES Prep uses parent input through Possip data in decision-making.

Isamar recently spoke on our Foundations of a Strong School Climate: Operational Excellence panel. She discussed how to meet parents’ concerns about their children’s basic needs and safety at school. You can read a recap of the event here!

How Possip Helps Inform School Decisions

Isamar shared that YES Prep uses feedback gathered by Possip to guide big decisions. Possip does more than just collect information; it starts important conversations and leads to real changes based on what they learn. Possip helps schools develop a true family-school partnership. YES Prep’s experience with Possip shows that using feedback can lead to tangible improvements in school operations and community satisfaction.

By looking at Pulse Check data and the trends spotted by our reporters, YES Prep makes sure they listen to every worry, compliment, and tip from families. This welcoming method not only lets families speak up but also treats them as important allies in education.

To Uniform or Not?

YES Prep’s choice about school uniforms shows how much the school leaders value using feedback to make changes. When the leadership team was considering bringing back uniforms because of worries about student safety, Isamar and her team used Possip to see what parents thought. With Possip’s help in analyzing the data, they found an important pattern: opinions on uniforms were divided. Many families mentioned that the cost was a major problem. 

Rather than dismiss these concerns, Yes Prep took proactive steps to address them. In a remarkable move, the network decided to cover the cost of uniforms for all 18,000 students—an initiative driven by a deep understanding of the community’s needs. This school decision alleviated financial burdens for families while also reinforcing YES Prep’s commitment to creating a safe and equitable learning environment.

Keep the Data Alive to Make School Decisions

YES Prep’s experience with their uniform policy highlights the need to look deeper than just collecting feedback. As Isamar explains, simply gathering survey data without planning to use it is pointless. She suggests actively using the data, regularly checking survey findings, and looking for ways to get better.

Possip supports school leaders by giving them the tools to listen, learn, and respond. In doing so, Possip helps make positive changes and build better relationships between schools and families. We are grateful to partner with school communities like YES Prep to help elevate voices. We’re thrilled to hear stories of how school leaders put what they hear to use!

Click here review how another school uses Possip for informed decision making.

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Empowering Students: Fostering Self-Discovery, Contribution, and Leadership – Event Recap

This week, Possip hosted Empowering Students: Fostering Self-Discovery, Contribution, and Leadership. 

This was the third and final session in our series that examined Possip data through the lens of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. To review, the hierarchy is a pyramid that illustrates the different levels of human needs. The lower levels include the needs we have for physical survival, like food and safety. Once those basic needs are met, our needs are more relational. Moving to the top of the pyramid, we have needs of self-esteem and self-actualization. 

This event centered around how schools can help students feel empowered, motivated, and proud of themselves and their growth. 

Overview of Possip

Possip offers a unique platform enabling schools to engage with the voices of families, students, and staff members through quick, text-based surveys. We know that being in relationship with families – asking for their input and feedback – is vital. With family feedback, schools have a better understanding of what enhances the school environment, directly impacting student well-being and achievement. In this session, we looked at the trends we see in family comments about their child’s need for self-esteem and self-actualization and what schools can do to foster self-discovery.

Enhancing Self-Esteem in Schools

The webinar emphasized the pivotal role of self-esteem in student development. It highlighted how acknowledging students’ accomplishments and positive traits can significantly boost their confidence and sense of belonging. Strategies such as personalized recognition and celebrating small victories can create an affirming atmosphere. These strategies encourage students to take pride in their individual and collective achievements.

Listen as Jessica Talbot, Principal of K-4 at Explore! Community School, explains some of their strategies to help kids build their self-esteem. They recognize and track different ways students exhibit achievement and positive behaviors that reflect the school’s core values:

Fostering Self-Discovery and Self-Acualization

Next, the panel discussed self-actualization, or helping students reach their fullest potential, as the ultimate goal of educational leadership. The session outlined the importance of providing a variety of extracurricular activities and creative outlets that align with students’ interests and talents and foster self-discovery. This not only aids in the development of a well-rounded individual but also ensures students are engaged and motivated to explore their passions. In addition, school guidance counselors and leaders have a special opportunity to help students discover their passions while cultivating self-advocacy skills and confidence.

Listen as Alyssa Collins, former Assistant Principal of a New York City high school explains how they encouraged students to develop relationships with school leaders and advocate for themselves:

Actionable Strategies for Fostering Self-Discovery and Empowerment

The webinar concluded with actionable recommendations for school leaders seeking to expand their strategies to recognize, incentivize, and support students as they explore their interests. Key suggestions included:

• Establish clear student recognition plans that are achievable and sustainable throughout the school year.
• Celebrate diverse achievements across academic and extracurricular spheres.
• Consider weaving experiences into the school day to ensure access for all students, especially those with transportation challenges.

Listen as Shani Dowell, Possip’s CEO, reviews several of the strategies the panelists described at their schools:

We hope this summary provides valuable insights and inspires actionable changes in your school. Together, we can create environments where every student has the opportunity to thrive, both personally and academically. 

Quick links to previous sessions and resources: 

• Foundations of a Strong School Climate: Operational Excellence – Event Recap
• A Welcoming School Climate: Creating Spaces for Safety, Inclusion, and Belonging – Event Recap

To watch the full event recording and access the resources shared with attendees, please visit our Membership Portal.

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Join us for our next free webinar, Creating a Crisis Communications Toolkit, on Apr 25 at 11 CST. Led by Janel Lacy and Kelli Gauthier of Chorus, a strategic communications agency, the session will review strategies to anticipate potential crises and communicate effectively in the moment. Learn more and register here. 

To see how Possip can help you capture family praise and concerns, click here!

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Supporting Mental Health: Reframing Unhelpful Thinking

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